Before contacting a rep to ask them to carry your line, try to find out what they require before taking on a new artist. Some reps expect an artist to have several accounts. Other reps will take on your line if another rep recommends it. And yet other reps might carry card lines limited to a specific style or subject matter such as handmade, religious, or humorous themes.

When you are ready to pitch your line to a rep, here are some guidelines that might increase your chances of making a good impression.

Are They are Looking at New Lines?
When you first contact a rep by phone or email, it is always polite to start the conversation by asking, “are you looking at new lines?” rather than “will you look at my line?” This takes pressure off them and shows that you are sensitive to their current needs.

If they are not looking at new lines, you might ask if there is a certain time of year they like to see new lines. If there is, make a note of it and contact them later.

Reps will often answer, “I’m not looking at new lines, but what kind of line do you have?”

This is the point where you need to have a short, clear description of your card line. This description might include your art style (collage?), message (humor?) or overall theme (pets).

Here are some examples of how to describe a card line in a few sentences:

“I have a letterpress line of retro images with unusual mechanical tools and housewares. I mix these with contemporary sentiments. This line does well in kitchen supply stores.”

“ My cards have cartoon art with women saying snarky things about their romantic life. These are especially hot sellers on Valentine’s Day”

“I have a humor line, based on what pets say about humans. My best sellers are cat birthday cards.”

Sending Samples
The only way to get a sales rep to pick up your line is to show them your cards. This can be done by mailing cards, by sending digital images through email, or by sending a rep to your website. I believe the best way to get a rep, is to show reps cards they can touch and hold.

Ask Before Sending Samples
Reps often discourage artists from sending unsolicited card samples in the mail. They usually have an office full of greeting cards and do not want more cluttering up their workspace. Nor do they want the burden or cost returning them to you. Always ask the sales rep ahead of time if it is OK to send samples.

Physical Samples vs. Virtual Samples
If a rep is looking at new card lines and is willing to look at yours, try to encourage them to let you send physical samples in the mail instead of brochures or website links. There are two advantages to this:

-If a rep has samples of your cards in her office, she will be reminded of your line.

-A rep can grab your samples on her way out the door if she spontaneously decides to take them to a sales meeting.

Sending Card Images through Email
If the rep still does not want samples mailed to them, but is willing to look at digital images, send images in your email (in addition to a website link). Email images are better than website images because:

-When you send email, a rep will probably open it an read it, whereas nothing guarantees they will visit your website.

-In an email, you can choose what images they will see first. On a website, you don’t know where they will go. So, for example, if you want to feature your top dozen sellers, you can put them all in your email so it doesn’t require them to navigate through several webpages to find these cards.

-You can put cards in specific order in an email (by top sellers, seasonal, themes, etc,).

-It is easy for a rep to scroll through the email faster than it is to look at a website, where pages have to be clicked.

-By sending several separate card images in an email (which is different than putting them all on an 8.5-by-11 inch page), reps can print out the ones they like and toss out the rest. This will save them ink and digital storage space.

-If possible, scan the cards instead of photographing them. Then you won’t have lighting issues or blurred text.

-Avoid sending PDFs. Theses are hard to preview in an email because they have to be downloaded an opened. Also, some people do not have the correct software to open them.

-Avoid sending your images inside of a digital “folder.” Instead, embed the images directly into your email message, so when the rep opens the email, the cards are sitting under your text. You can also write comments above or below a card, such as “Here are my twelve top sellers” and “Here are my birthday cards.”

-Try to keep your email file size under 1 to 2 MG total. It is better to send twenty images at low resolution than ten at high resolution.

-A good rule of thumb is to send files that are 72 dpi and 500 pixels wide. This way, if the rep wants to print images out, they are large enough to look like a greeting card and they also a small digital file that can be easily stored.

-When preparing your digital images, use the SAVE FOR WEB & DEVICES function in Photoshop instead of the SAVE AS option under the file menu. This will make the file smaller.

All of these digital tips above are suggestions for making a good impression when you first contact a rep who does not know you. If you follow these guidelines, I believe it will increase the odds that 1) your designs will be seen 2) you will get a response and 3) ideally the rep will pick up your line.

Mailing Samples
If a rep gives you permission to mail cards, here are some helpful tips for preparing them:

-Put reference codes on the back of each card, such as “# 32.” You can decide on the code.

If you already make your own greeting cards, this book explains how to get your cards into stores and sell them sell nationwide. Included are guidelines on: how to price your cards for a profit, how to get professional feedback, where to find a sales representative and and what industry standards you should follow. All the information is also applicable to gift items, such as magnets, journals, calendars, collectibles, etc.

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About Kate

I am a designer who lives in Berkeley California who has worked in the greeting card and gift industry for over 20 years. I like to create things that make people laugh. For more information on licensing my art, visit my website.